AND HERE IS THE NEWS…
….a quick glance at the latest local news with Caroline Manson
The Tiger Mosquitoes are back

After a mild winter and the recent showers and thunderstorms, the Tiger Mosquitoes have put in an early appearance in the P-O and the department has been placed on maximum alert. The Tiger Mosquito was first spotted in 2004 and they are particularly attracted to coastal areas so all the communes from Leucate to Saint-Cyprien are considered high risk. Apart from disrupting sleep, the bite of this mosquito can transmit chikungunya, zika or dengue. Out of 45 cases of indigenous dengue signalled in France, 11 were recorded in this department. Treatments by spray planes are planned in certain areas but as a small step we are reminded to eliminate stagnant water and maintain gutters etc.
Céret – the most beautiful market in France?
The TV channel TF1 is running a competition to find the most beautiful market in France, and Céret market is one of the top ten finalists. The Saturday market features between 100 and 200 stall-holders, depending on the season, and attracts locals and tourists alike. Voting continues until June 24th and you can click on the link here to vote.
Mystery over death of teenager
The television show ‘Appel àTémoins’ is to feature the story of 14 year old Shana Fourastié who was found dead in the Cave Cooperative of Banyuls-dels-Aspres in October 2021. The teenager had told her mother she was spending the night at a friend’s house but a few hours later the gendarmes rang to say that the girl’s body had been found in the abandoned Cellars, and it appeared she had suffered a 10 metre fall. The mother is very much hoping that more witnesses will come forward after the programme as she does not believe that the case has been properly investigated and there are many inconsistencies; Shania was afraid of the dark so would never have gone to the abandoned Cellars, also she had left the house carrying her electronic cigarette and a necklace and these have never been found. The programme was on M6 on Tuesday night.
Appeal date set for Millas school-bus crash driver
Following the terrible collision in Millas in December 2017 when a school bus collided with a train on a level crossing, the driver of the bus has been given the chance to appeal her conviction. In 2022, 50 year old Nadine Oliveira was found guilty of “lack of attention and recklessness” and sentenced to 5 years in prison (suspended but carried out at home under an electronic tag). During the 4th day of the trial, Nadine Oliveira collapsed and was hospitalised and spent three weeks in intensive care. She is now said to be tired and worn out but is undergoing psychotherapy to prepare for the appeal court date in October where she will once again face the families of the 6 children who died and the 17 students who were injured.
Body found in plastic bag
On 10th May, a farmer in Porté-Puymorens made the grisly discovery of a woman’s body, wrapped in a plastic bag. The autopsy revealed that she died of natural causes. Gendarmes are investigating but so far have no clues as to the identity of the woman, nor who deposited her body on the farmer’s land.
31 Beaches in the P-O win Blue Flag awards
The 2024 Blue Flag list was unveiled last Thursday and yet again 31 beaches and 3 ports have received this prestigious award. The beaches range from le Barcarès to Cerbère and the 3 ports are Banyuyls-sur-Mer, Argelès-sur-Mer and Saint-Cyprien. The Port Saint-Ange du Barcarès lost the Blue Flag in 2023 and has still not been given the award this year.
And finally…
Forget Paris, Marseille or Toulouse, a survey by Auto-Plus magazine has just revealed that Perpignan has the dubious honour of having the most speed radars of all the cities in France. This is based on cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants and counts the ratio of speed cameras per inhabitant. Perpignan has a ratio of one radar per 9,204 inhabitants. This ratio could even have been increased if, in addition to the 13 radars in the town centre, they counted the 3 additional radars on the major roads entering the town. A full list of the sites of all the radars is listed on the website but of course as we are all law abiding citizens we don’t need to check it out…